Simple tips for optimizing your rig

[Mischief Managed]

I've been towing "heavy" for my '99 Durango for the last 5 years. Here's a couple of simple and cheap modifications that have really helped:

Drilled and slotted front brake rotors.
High performance brake pads
Replace brake fluid every two years, only use DOT4

This dramatically improved brake fade resistance. The difference in boiling point of new DOT4 versus old DOT3 is huge.

Replaced OEM size 31x10.5x15 tires with 275R-60-15 performance tires.

This reduces the tire diameter about 10% which increases actual drive wheel torque 10%, improves handling and traction, and improves braking performance.

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Simple tips for optimizing your rig

Drilled and slotted front brake rotors.
High performance brake pads
Replace brake fluid every two years, only use DOT4

the drilled &/or slotted rotors are reducing your stopping ability. They were used back in the days of organic brake pads that outgassed during use, hence the slots or holes were used to get rid of the outgassing. With metallic brake pads there is no outgassing, so those slots/holes are just reducing your overall brake contact. Drilled rotors are also fairly likely to crack and fail at some point.

sort of one of those things that hangs on because it was popular and nobody really knew the real reason, everyone thought it was for cooling, which it actually does none of.

 

[Mischief Managed]

Re: Simple tips for optimizing your rig

the drilled &/or slotted rotors are reducing your stopping ability. They were used back in the days of organic brake pads that outgassed during use, hence the slots or holes were used to get rid of the outgassing. With metallic brake pads there is no outgassing, so those slots/holes are just reducing your overall brake contact. Drilled rotors are also fairly likely to crack and fail at some point.

sort of one of those things that hangs on because it was popular and nobody really knew the real reason, everyone thought it was for cooling, which it actually does none of.

Interesting. Not something Iv'e ever heard of. I went with them because the first three sets of rotors (OEM, Raybestos, and ???) warped kind of quickly. So far, after two years, these have not warped at all. Perhaps it was the better pads that I put in with them that gave me the better braking feel.

 

[Utahboatnut]

Re: Simple tips for optimizing your rig

Well look at any new performance car or motorcycle they all come stock with drilled rotors, I'm sure they aren't running organic pads, I agree on the dot 4 is much better than the 3 but the only thing that has worked on my dodge front brakes was to do the same as you and spend the money on drilled rotors and good pads.